A fun outing to a local mall can become anything but enjoyable if you are hurt in a slip and fall accident. You can suffer broken bones, back and spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or other serious injuries and be off work for months or longer while you recover—if you are not permanently disabled. Fortunately, you may be able to file a claim to seek compensation from the mall owner or other negligent party with the help of an experienced premises liability attorney.

Responsibilities of a Mall to Its Customers

Shopping mall owners and their management team have a duty to their guests to maintain the mall in a reasonably safe condition and to warn customers of known hazards. They often enter into contracts with others, such as a cleaning service, snow removal company, and other third parties to keep the mall common areas in a safe and clean condition. Here are some of the duties that malls have to their guests:

Have procedures to quickly identify dangerous conditions and rectify them or post warnings

Shops, restaurants, and other businesses within the mall have their own responsibilities to keep their stores safe for customers and to warn them of hazards that may have been violated when a visitor suffers injuries in a fall in these locations.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents at Malls

Because of the large number of people at malls, there are many slip and fall hazards when mall and store owners breach their duty to customers. Here are some main reasons that people are injured in slip and fall accidents:

Cracked flooring or torn carpeting

Spills of food and drink, especially around the food court area

Wet and slick entrances due to snow, ice, and water being carried in by visitors

Inadequate lighting

Slippery floors due to cleaning

Broken stairs or handrails

Malfunctioning escalators

Debris and merchandise in aisles

Electrical cords that are not properly secured

Cracks and potholes in asphalt

Snow and ice on sidewalks and parking lots

Were you or a family member injured in a slip and fall accident at the mall in Norfolk? Our experienced premises liability attorneys are here to identify the liable parties and fight for the compensation that you deserve. To schedule your free case evaluation to learn more about your legal options, fill out our convenient online form.